Bike Fiasco II and a Selfless Act of Kindness

So maybe a month ago before “cold” season started—still in the midst of the mini-hot season I decided I would be ambitious and go for a bike ride to a satellite village. The temperature at the time was probably just over 100 degrees, mind you. The first part of my bike ride was lovely but upon returning, my bike decided it hated me and decided to die on me. I got a flat and the entire tubing pretty much came out. How I manage to get myself in these situations, God only knows. My bike was in such bad shape that I could not even push it (in the unpaved sandy roads) back to my village—the back wheel simply would not turn. So imagine this me, hot, sweaty, not really happy about the bike situation, considering I had a least a good 3 kilometers left, forcing this bike along. I think I even vowed I would give up exercising in general, just to spite my bike or else commit bike-o-cide. At this time there was not anyone on the road to help me. Granted this time around my French was much better so if someone decided to assist me I could explain the situation—not that much explaining would be necessary. So here I am pushing this wretched thing in the sand back to my village when all of a sudden out of no where my bike suddenly lifts up and is now pretty much weightless--all I had to do was just guide it along. I was mystified. Was a miracle being performed before my very eyes? I turn around to find a small woman (probably not even a hundred pounds)lifting up the back of my bike, which is quite heavy. I realized I had passed this woman earlier on in the road—at the time she had been carrying not one, but two, kids(one in the front and one on her back) as well as her sack of rice on her head. She was making the 10 kilometers trek from the district market back to our village (I recognized her little girl but didn’t know where in the village they lived). When I saw this I teared up; I was so touched at this women’s selflessness to help me when I was in need. She could have left it to someone else to help me but she decided to help me despite being hot, not to mention tired, from the 7 kilometers she had already walked with her two kids in tote with her bag of rice. I noticed she gave one of the children to her four year old? to carry so she could take my bike. When I realized she was trying to help me, I tried to switch places with her to I could do much of the brunt work; all I was doing at the time was guiding the bike while she was carrying it. She insisted on maintaining her place and that I guide the bike, knowing full well that I clearly was doing no work whatsoever. The women did not speak an ounce of French and my level of Bissa is limited. After a few moments of walking in silence, I stopped the bike, turned back to her, and adamantly insisted that I take over the back for a while. She relented and let me. The bike was quite heavy and I had to switch arms lifting it up every two minutes because of the weight. I felt quite embarrassed when I had realized that while the women had been in the back she had not switched arms once. After a bit, she then told me to take the front again and we proceeded like this until we eventually came across a boy on the road that was able to at least fix the tubing so that the wheels would turn. After the boy fixed my bike, I thanked them both many times over and continued on my way. After walking a bit I turned around and waited for the mother and children to catch up with me. I asked the little girl if the woman was her mother. I figured it was far easier me to remember the little girl than the face of her mother (I normally see the girl on the road to my village market). The next day I was heading to the pump for water when I suddenly spot the little girl from the day before. I quickly changed plans and biked to my village market and proceeded to buying a bag or rice, beans, and sugar. I did not know how else to thank the woman and her family for her selflessness. When I went back to the spot where I had seen the girl I could not find her. I went to the nearest house and asked in Bissa where the little girl in the white dress had gone and if they knew her. Luck, as it turns out, was on mu side--I was already at the little girl’s house and was talking to her family. I asked the men to send the little girl out; a few minutes later the girl appears, I hand her the sack, and tell her to thank her mom for helping me out. I am currently seriously thinking about extending my service here in Burkina. When I think about the kindness (not to mention generosity and acceptance) that people like the woman have bestowed upon me, it’s an easy decision to make.